Tuesday 19 May 2015

Tobacco Control Torturers

Following on from yesterday's piece about how we are expected to now abandon liberties in favour of absolute safety, comes this.
Since July 2008, mental health facilities in England have had indoor smoking bans. However, NICE guidelines recommend that all NHS sites, including psychiatric hospitals become completely smoke-free
It is written by Olivia Maynard, who has carved a lucrative career as a professional anti-smoker. She reviews the 'evidence' surrounding enforcing bans on people with mental health who are locked up for their own good, and finds it hunky-dory.
The evidence presented in this systematic review suggests that complete bans are the most effective at encouraging smoking cessation and that the provision of nicotine dependence treatment, such as NRT or brief advice, is also crucial.
Personally, I disagree.


Because, you see - by Olivia's own admission - the only thing anti-smokers think is important is quitting smoking. Nothing else.
Importantly, none of the studies in this review explored the impact of smoke-free legislation on mental health outcomes.
Overall wellbeing isn't at all important to the tobacco control industry, they don't get paid for that. Torturing mental health patients by targeting them at their most vulnerable and when they have had their rights to self-determination taken away from them - over an issue hyped beyond rationality by career prohibitionists in Maynard's industry - is morally nauseating.

I may be a hopeless believer in personal freedoms, but anyone who would even consider forcing someone to quit smoking when they are at a low ebb and incarcerated is on a par with vile moral Victorians who used to lock up unmarried teen mothers in asylums for making the wrong choices in life.

Those who agree that it's a good idea should be hunted for sport, in my opinion.


23 comments:

Bandit 1 said...

Hear fucking hear on all counts. Such a backward state of affairs, that evil (and that is absolutely the word) cunts should wield entirely unwarranted power over the decent and the innocent. Roll on the libertarian revolution and the destruction of power structures open to abuse.

Jack Listerio said...

Smoking Ban at Psychiatric Hospital Linked to Increase in Involuntary Admissions
The number of walk-ins decreased and rate of involuntary admissions increased after a smoking ban at Canada's largest psychiatric hospital.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/729700

Jack Listerio said...

Mold Crown Court hears woman attacked with ice skate in head for smoking

Attacker Natasha Welsh walked free from court because she suffers from Asperger syndrome

Jack Listerio said...

So weve got people being forced into mental units for no reason other than they smoke and another wacko turned lose on the street because she is anti smoking and attacks smokers
...........

Mac McCubbin said...

Fascinating creatures aren't they? That individuals such as this, utterly devoid of empathy or compassion have come to hold sway over the defenceless is proof positive that the whole structure is arse about face...

woodsy42 said...

There is surely a human rights argument to be made?

Dick_Puddlecote said...

It would be nice if someone were to challenge it, but these are mental health patients so tobacco control (and NICE, to their shame) see them as soft targets.


On the plus side, some have pointed out how unethical the whole disgusting scenario is in the comments to Maynard's article. Not that anti-smokers listen to reason, of course.

nisakiman said...

This particular piece of singularly spiteful malignancy is my personal bete noir. I find myself quite astonished that anyone could even contemplate such a malevolent course of action with vulnerable people who are under their 'protection'. People like this Maynard jobsworth I just want to slap. Repeatedly. While screaming in her face "You. (slap) Are. (slap) Not. (slap) God." Slap. Slap. Slap. Etc etc



It really does make me angry that these agenda driven cretins can wield such power over the poor souls who need support and compassion rather than spite driven punishment.


Tobacco Control really is a malign pestilence in the world, and the sooner their baleful presence is excised from the corridors of power the better it will be for everyone.

Pat Glass said...

That is so horrible and reeks of inhumanity. How is this ugly witch allowed to impose such a law on so many of our weakest and vulnerable.

jude said...

There is something very wrong with our society, when it produces people who gain pleasure from hurting and controlling the most vulnerable, simply because they can. I used to think that maybe they believed that they were doing some good, but lately, I think it is an illness itself, and that these are very nasty, spiteful people who revel in the unhappiness they cause in others. This is the classic behaviour of the bully, and the malignant narcissist.


This particular type of malignant narcissist, (using ideology to oppress and harm), seems to gravitate towards tobacco control, and other equally parasitic organisations. It is institutionalised terrorism directed at the most vulnerable people in our society, the poor and the ill.


That this sort of bullying and oppression, is supported by government, and so called "medical professionals", is repugnant beyond words.

Vinny Gracchus said...

The tobacco control cult needs to be dismantled. It's time to assert smoker's rights!

Mr A said...

As someone who had very severe depression / a nervous breakdown back in the mid to late 90s I can only describe this as "evil" - pure unadulterated evil. It is a known fact (that I can corroborate) that a lot of people with mental health issues use tobacco to self-medicate. To essentially deny them service at a time when the only thing that is keeping themselves from self-harm is the fact that they are too depressed or screwed up to actually go through with it properly, is just indescribably appalling. If there is evidence to say people are refusing the service because of this policy (as there seems to be) then this foul, malignant creature needs to be sacked and the policy revoked.

gray cooper said...

I question the public funded politicians who irresponsibly fund such poisonous organisations. They have no humanity.

Octodad said...

I politely pointed out the lack of compassion on show from her in the comments. Said comment was duly removed. No surprise there then. I agree with your hunting plan.

jude said...

Perhaps thats her plan, to drive people with mental illness away from seeking help. Who wants to be tortured just for trying to get some help when you are already in severe distress.


This woman is a sociopath, to torture those already deprived of freedom, or those who are seeking help by voluntarily placing themselves in a mental health institution, is repugnant beyond words.

jmshigham said...

should be hunted for sport

A more humane response, of course, to inhumane behaviour. :)

truckerlyn said...

Just make damned sure the lily-livered are all in the FRONT LINE!

truckerlyn said...

Yet, there are those of us that wear them so that we can be seen when working around moving vehicles. There are others who wear them whilst driving said moving vehicles that seem to believe that because they are wearing a hi-viz they are immune to harm! Example:- I am reversing an articulated truck and IDIOTS in hi-viz walk or drive forklifts directly behind me without having a clue as to whether or not I have seen them! Then they get upset when I call them ***** idiots and say something to the effect of 'you must have seen me I am wearing a hi-viz!'


Unbelievable!


However, this is another story, where all this H&S is taking away peoples' responsibility for themselves; there are H&S laws that make us safe because others cannot do this, that or the other, because it might harm us!


Whatever the hell happened to each and everyone of us (once of an age to have some responsibility for our own actions, such as over 5 years old) having responsibility for our own actions?


Some of the very obvious things aren't even addressed, such as mothers arriving at school with their little darlings, parking on the road, getting out onto the pavement and then walking around their car to get their child out ONTO THE ROAD! Does no-one have any common sense any more? Rhetorical question, they probably don't because of the H&S brigade seemingly taking all that away from people!


Of course, the H&S brigade have to continue coming up with more and more bizarre and ridiculous rules and regs in order to keep their jobs - much like the anti smoking. drinking, having fun, enjoying life lot!

truckerlyn said...

Mr A I totally endorse all you have said and, in particular, the point about self medicating with tobacco. Up until the smoking ban I self medicated in this way and mostly managed to cope with my depression and anxiety disorder and hold down a responsible full time job.


Since the ban (well just before actually) I have been on constant medication, seeing a psychiatrist and now, after 7 years have had 4 sessions of psychotherapy (where the therapist told me it is essential that I keep my nicotine intake up) and I have had one session of one to one CBT which has only covered half of the assessment!


I have said before on this blog that prior to the ban I cost the NHS virtually nothing, now I cost them a hell of a lot. In the past 7 years I have needed paramedics about 5 times, A&E about 7 times and have had a few overnight stays in hospital. ALL courtesy of the smoking ban!


Regarding being told to keep my nicotine levels up - the reason is because when I get anxious smoking helps to control my breathing and therefore reduces the anxiety; without the smoking I am apparently far more likely to drop dead from heart failure than I ever will from smoking! She did ask about using NRT and e-cigs, but as I said, neither of these work for me, so she said carry on smoking then, it is better for you!


Regarding this pathetic excuse for a human being - she should be burned at the stake along with ALL others of her ilk!

truckerlyn said...

And yet those same politicians have been voted back in! Just proves that commons sense has fled these shores!

alan said...

It's a minefield truck, I'm sure, ish, that the legislation comes into being with the best intentions, I reiterate, ish. The net but as yet unseen result is the destruction of common sense.
I foresee in the near future that a lot of people won't be able to cross the road, why you ask, because they couldn't find a button to press.
Working around moving vehicles, should have seen me, I was wearing a high viz jacket, it's somehow resulted in the transfer of responsibility. It isn't my fault for being in your way, it's your fault for not seeing me. It doesn't matter if a child, a pedestrian, a cyclist, all with or without hi viz it's the engine bearing entity that done it.
A near perfect illustration of this phenomenon is "kill your speed, not a child" never a mention anymore to the child, look where you're going, it was the engine what done it.
We are being systematically infantilised as a population but very few have noticed.

truckerlyn said...

I totally agree. Perhaps very few have noticed because not taking responsibility for their own actions actually suits them very well! After all, the No Win No Fee lot make a good living out of it!

gray cooper said...

So true! There is no common sense since spiteful smoking ban.